One Thing That Made All The Difference
by laranbebe
Summary: So what if Ezra stayed with Maggie? What if they got married and he stayed for Malcolm and Maggie. He never went to Hollis and he was just about to meet the one person who could truly turn his word upside down. Aria Montgomery.


_This has to be the most "What If" Ezria fan fiction that I've thought of but I really enjoyed writing it. So what if Ezra stayed with Maggie? What if they got married and he stayed for Malcolm and Maggie. He never went to Hollis and he was just about to meet the one person who could truly turn his word upside down. Aria Montgomery_

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Ezra took a swig of his whiskey; it always burnt his throat on the way down. He sighed and looked at the time. It was 1:14am and he hadn't left his office yet. He knew that Maggie without a doubt would be awake waiting on him but he couldn't help the stack of admissions papers that were put on his desk today for his classes this semester. Teaching in a college like Harvard would give you the impression that the professors had it easy because the students were so talented but instead it left in with a sizeable salary and plenty of long nights. Classes didn't officially start until next week but he had so much to do and he wanted the weekend to spend time with his son Malcolm.

Ezra was now 30 years old, he had been married for just under 13 years and he had a 12 year old son, Malcolm. Ezra was content with his life but he always thought of the plans that he was going to pursue before the night Maggie told him that she was pregnant. He wanted out of the world that he was born into, with money being the main driving factor in every decision that he had possibly made. He even was going to go by the name of Fitz instead of Fitzgerald. He didn't get the chance to follow these plans because he had a commitment to his high school sweetheart that he had happened to get pregnant at the age of 17. His mother gave him a "simple choice" in her eyes, she would help Maggie to "take care of the problem" but Ezra knew in his heart that it wasn't right. He finally convinced her that he would be able to do it all and he did do it all. He had a wife and son long before he should have had but he had something to call his own and something to love. Ezra still went to college, as did Maggie. She was a qualified elementary school teacher but choose to be a stay at home mom.

He was a pretty important person in Harvard. He was the current professor that everyone wanted to be taught by, his classes were enjoyable and he really was passionate about what he did and most of all the girls all found him as eye candy. He started off only teaching a few classes, impressed a lot of people and got several promotions. He didn't need the money however. His family came from money so it was never really an issue for him or his little family. He worked because he loved what he did and wouldn't change the stress or late nights for anything.

Ezra thought of Maggie and felt guilty, sure he loved her but he wasn't in love with her anymore. This is probably the reason that he didn't spend much time with her alone because he felt so guilty for not loving her the same way anymore, after finding out about the affairs of his parents, he promised himself that he wouldn't do that anyone and once he got married, he'd forever be with the same girl. The more time he spent in his office the more time he realised that he would have to break that promise someday as he knew that they couldn't forever be together without talking and without loving.

He finished his whiskey in one final swig, stood up and pulled on his jacket. He walked over, flicked off the light and left his office for the seven hour s before he returned again.

Walking through the dark building at night time alone always felt Ezra feeling a bit spooked, he took the long way through the courtyard and then finally reached the car park. His car was the only there apart from the the cleaner and the care taker.

He walked over to his car, gently opened the door of his black BMW with the click of a button. He climbed in and flicked on the radio, he changed the channels several times until he settled on Happiness by the Fray which was playing on WHRB. He hummed along on the drive back to his house, he was exhausted but his mind was too full to sleep just yet.

When he finally pulled into the drive way, he quickly keyed in the code to get closer to the house, the gate opened and he parked out front instead of the garage tonight. He made his way into his large, extremely well decorated 3 story house. He heard the TV from the first living room, he a sleeping Maggie rolled up in a ball in the recliner chair. He smiled at the scene, he walked over, turned off the TV and lifted his sleeping wife. She wrapped her arms around his neck straight away and quietly mumbled "Ezra". He carried her to their room, he planned to put her into their bed and then to check on Malcolm. When he finally put her down on their bed, she spoke in a weak tone "Hey, you're home". Ezra thought she was out for the count and he sat down on the bed beside her "Yeah, had a long night, I thought you were out for the count?" "No, I just wanted to see you really bad" "I know, I missed you too" Maggie suddenly leaned forward and kissed Ezra. He wasn't surprised but their sex life lately had been lacking of, he kissed her back and she pulled him closer. Soon their clothes were being pulled off and he was on top of her kissing her. She bit down hard on his neck making him want her 10 times more. They continued like this until both had become fully naked. Ezra looked at her "You are so beautiful, you know?" He rubbed her face with the back of his hand before he continued to make love to her. They soon fell asleep together, naked and wrapped in each other's arms.

When Ezra awoke, he felt the empty sheets beside him, it was 7:38, he had over slept a bit. He got up and got ready, in the shower he couldn't take his mind off last night, they had that moment out of nowhere but the more he thought of it, the more he enjoyed it. He enjoyed knowing that she still loved him in some form as he did the same to her.

When he got out of the shower, he dressed in a light grey suit with a baby blue shirt and a dark blue tie, all designer obviously.

He got downstairs and seen Maggie standing in pajamas and Malcolm sitting at the table drinking orange juice.

"Mom, are you taking me to school today?" Malcolm asked Maggie during sips of orange juice.

Ezra walked up behind Maggie and wrapped his arms around her "Actually buddy, I was going to take you today if that's what you want?"

"You're taking me to school?" Malcolm asked Ezra.

"Sure will Kid, that's if you want?"

"Yeah, your car is AWESOME" the wide spread smile appeared on Malcolm's face which made Ezra smile just as widely back at him. Ezra idolized his son, the first time that he held him made the happiest man alive, he loved his son more than words and he wouldn't change having him for the world.

After the nice breakfast the Maggie had provided the boys, they were off. Ezra enjoyed the days that he took Malcolm to school because he rarely seen him during the week. They sat in silence before Malcolm spoke to Ezra "Dad, can I have a car as cool as this when I grow up?"

"You sure can Kid, you can have anything you want" Ezra smiled down at his son while he drove to drop Malcolm off at school, he finally reached his Middle School and pulled up outside. Malcolm could see his friends from the distance and got excited so he could brag about his Dad's awesome car. Malcolm unbuckled himself and hugged Ezra, they said their goodbyes and Ezra let his son get out to see his friends.

Ezra drove the small distance between Malcolm's school and his place of work, pulling into his allocated spot. He looked down and seen that his assistance spot was still there, this made him feel a pang of sadness, he became really close to his former assistant George, they were good friends after working together, he knew today was the day that sure thing candidate would be meeting with him. He didn't know a lot about this person but he hoped that they would love English as much as him because he needed someone passionate now, not just the past girls would apply for the job because Professor Fitzgerald was so hot.

He knew that the meeting of this new assistant wouldn't be until 11, so he got his paper work underway while he thought of last night. Maggie had blew his mind for how unexpected and how good it was just to be with her like that again, she made all of his doubts disappear in the blink of an eye but she easily could have brought the back if she didn't even talk to him for the next week. Maggie had been weird Ezra, especially after late nights. They even fought about him "cheating on her", he always had to gently remind her that he was never a cheater, after his parents, he swore that he wouldn't do it to himself, the girl or his children and that promise was the one that he would always keep clear on.

It was now half past 10 and Ezra had almost finished his paper work, he decided to walk down to the Starbucks on campus and get a relaxing latte to calm himself down. He was walking past students which were registering for their classes, he knew that it was very likely that most of people who he had just past by would be his future students.

He walked in the mindless state, in pilot mode when he knocked right into a petite brunette who knocked her books out her hands. He looked down at her, her face flashing a deep shade of red; she bent down as did he. He recognized one of the books very well, it was fill of his own poetry. The girl had yet to look at him "Are you okay there?" Ezra asked just as he stood up, he held his hand down to her. She gently placed her much smaller hands into his, making feel a little shock. She finally stood tall, well not so tall in front of his. He seen her face, the redness slowly going away and he smiled to her. "I'm fine sorry, I thought I was late so I was rushing but I'm actually early and I've managed to knock myself down and embarrass myself in front of you. I am so sorry" She rambled on before Ezra raised his hands still holding his own poetry book "It's fine, you harm no foul. You didn't embarrass yourself and I just want to make sure you are okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine.. Sorry for knocking into you again" she said again. When she pushed her long dark brown hair with hints of lighter shades of brown completely out of her face, he saw her beautiful dark eyes which were lined perfectly with her dark eye make-up. She was much shorter than him; he was several inches, if not a foot taller than her. She had the best figure as well, she was curvy in the right places and everything was perfect for her. She was wearing a black skirt with a cream top that had golden studs on the shoulders. She was wearing massive black wedges, making her seen a bit taller that she actually was. Ezra was shocked by her beauty and she liked his poetry, we he hoped he did. She was carrying his book, so he hoped he did. "Are you okay?" she asked again and Ezra smiled widely and nodded to her "I'm fine, I promise" She flashed him her beautiful smile and his heart was beating ten times faster just at her happiness and how it radiated off her. "Could you do me a favour?" She asked him and he nodded gently "Could you point me in the direction of the English department?". She would be his student, he couldn't help but grin "Sure, it's just over in the direction" Ezra pointed toward the building where he worked and she was off but she still hadn't got her book back "Hey" Ezra shouted and ran up beside her "You forgot you book" He handed it to her, their hands gently grazed making Ezra feel the electricity run through him.

And she was gone, in the direction of the English department. He sighed and went on to get himself a coffee, he knew that he didn't have long now, the encounter with that amazing girl had taken up 15 minutes, leaving with only time to get a coffee and walk back to his office straight away, Ezra waiting a brief period of time in the queue waiting to be served and then he placed the order for a latte for himself, a white coffee for the head of the department, a black one for the dean and then another latte for his future assistant.

After receiving his order his mind went to that girl, he had felt that instant spark with anyone in his life time, he had only even known the familiar which was Maggie at this point as she was his second girlfriend and his wife. He got into his office and was quickly followed by the Dean and the Head of the Department. They all greeted each other in a friendly way as they were all friends. "So where is my new assistant?" Ezra asked as he passed the two men their coffees, "You'll see now, they are a bit nervous, a big fan of you apparently. They had an accident outside and are just cleaning their leg in my office across the hall and will be over an moment" Ezra's mind thought of the girl he meet outside, he took that it possibly could have been her.

They sat and chatted for a few moments when there was a gentle knock on Ezra's office door, he walked over and opened it to none other than the girl that he had meet outside.

He firmly held his hand out to shake hers "Ezra Fitzgerald but you already know that, nice to meet you" She shakily took his hand and spoke "Aria Montgomery". He stood shaking his head while he continued to hold her hand in the shake motion, his thumb gently the back of her hand, the sparks between them were still flowing "I guess, I am your boss and I'll be teaching you to a professor in this department now".

Ezra looked down at the girl and thought "God, she is beautiful".

_So reviews mean I will continue, you know what to do, feedback is always appreciated! Hope you liked it :) - Laranbebe xx_


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